ELN launched with fireside chat between Belmont President Dr. Greg Jones and Titans President and CEO Burke Nihill
Burke Nihill joined the Tennessee Titans as General Counsel in 2016 after seeing a LinkedIn job ad and thinking, “some lucky person is going to get this great job.”
Considering he had no prior experience working in sports, Nihill thought the Titans position was a longshot, but decided to throw his hat in the ring and applied.
Today, Nihill is in his eighth season with the Titans, and his fourth as the team's President and Chief Executive Officer.
Belmont University President Dr. Greg Jones sat down for a “fireside chat” with Nihill at the launch of Belmont’s Executive Learning Networks (ELN) Series of Learning. Nihill joined Belmont’s Board of Trust at the start of the 2023-2024 academic year, further developing the relationship between him and Jones, who came to serve as Belmont’s president two and a half years ago.
“This guy is a gift to Nashville and to this university,” Nihill said about Jones. “I do think we see the world the same way and our roles in a similar way. You've described your journey to get to Belmont and ultimately, what you want to do with this platform. I want to keep my eyes open for opportunities to use this seat to do things that are beyond even our organization.”
Jones asked Nihill to share his experience transitioning from General Council to CEO.
Having worked at a technology company where innovation and reinvention were widely embraced and expected, Nihill came to the Titans with a viewpoint that differed from many of the people who started their first jobs with the organization and stayed for years.
“It was an advantage to me, not having habits or conceptions about any of the work,” Nihill said. “I asked ‘Why do we do it this way?’ a lot.”
Nihill’s inquisitive leadership helped the Titans move away from antiquated procedures to the new age of automated processes. Nihill also oversaw the team’s bid for Nashville’s record-breaking 2019 NFL Draft. As General Counsel, Nihill says he gained a deep understanding of every part of the organization and quickly learned the business. When former president Steve Underwood entered retirement, Nihill said he was honored to get the call asking him to step into the role.
Jones also asked Nihill about the team's new mission statement – "Win, Serve, Entertain" – which has become a centering statement for the franchise.
“There wasn't alignment between people who had been there for a long time and people who had just gotten there about who we are and what matters to us,” Nihill said. “So, we started asking the question, like, who are we? Why do we exist? What makes us different? Why do you still choose this place over other places you could be working?”
Win: “There's a competitiveness about our industry. Winning is certainly fun.”
Serve: “There's an opportunity for an organization like ours to use our platform to hold on to the good, to promote the good, and, as often as possible, actually help the bad be a little better.”
Entertain: “There were people that recognized we had an opportunity to deliver entertainment experiences for the city. That if we don't deliver them, nobody can.”
Jones and Nihill discussed a range of other topics and ELN attendees had the chance to ask questions regarding building the new stadium and establishing new Titans traditions to replace old, cherished ones like parking lot tailgating, influential people and books that Nihill has encountered, as well as how the Titans franchise supports and develops their young male players through their transition into the league.
Jones and Nihill’s chat was the first of many events scheduled for the ELN Series of Learning. The calendar of events includes in-person and online opportunities for leadership and professional development, networking and growth.
View and download the 2024 ELN Series of Learning Schedule of Events.
IMPORTANT MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
- $5,000 for 12 senior associates to attend each session in the most convenient way possible, either in person or virtually. (Additional associates $300 each; can add up to 6 more senior associates)
- ELN Members Only Website with videos of speakers from current and past years (12 years of videos).
- ELN Members Only LinkedIn Group with member information for connecting with other ELN members.
- Soundview library database access with over 2200 assets including book summaries, webinars, podcasts and skill-based newsletters.
For questions about membership and/or visiting a session as you consider joining the network, contact Jill Robinson, Assistant Dean of External Relations and Strategic Partnerships via phone (615) 460-5560, or email jill.robinson@belmont.edu.